1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cable management devices and more particularly relates to cable guides used to maintain a desired bend radius for a cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
An important part of a telecommunications system is the plurality of cables that conduct signals between nodes of a network. Many of the cables conduct high frequency electrical signals or sensitive optical signals over long or short distances. To ensure proper transmission, installers handle the cables according to a set of rules.
One rule in handling cables is that short segments of a cable should not be bent in sharp angles. A sharply bent cable degrades the quality of the signals conducted by the cable. Cable installers use a manufacturer-specified minimum bend radius as a rule when installing cables. The minimum bend radius is the radius of an arc formed by a minimum length of cable that can be bent in a ninety degree angle without degrading the signal conducted by the cable.
Optical signals in fiber optic cables and RF signals in coaxial cables are especially vulnerable to improper cable bends. Cables can easily be unintentionally bent beyond their minimum bend radius. Cables are especially susceptible to bend radius violations at their ends. Connectors terminate each end of a cable. The installer typically plugs each connector into a network device. Typically, the network device is installed in a rack. Cables connecting to the network device typically approach the network device from either the top or the bottom of the rack. As the cable approaches the device the cable makes a ninety degree bend and then plugs into the face of the network device.
If the ninety degree bend sharp, violating the minimum bend radius for the cable, signal degradation results. Cable guides can ensure that the ninety degree bend in the cable has a bend radius greater than the manufacturer-specified minimum bend radius for the cable. Conventional cable guides are curved plastic or metal devices that surround the cable and prevent the cable from being bent beyond the minimum bend radius.
Installing a conventional cable guide typically requires access to one end of the cable to thread the cable through the cable guide. Obtaining access to one end of the cable requires disconnecting the cable from the network device. However, disconnecting the cable from the network device is typically undesirable since the disconnection may cause a network outage.
Typically, a plurality of connectors plug into a network device. As a result, the front panel of the network device is crowded with connectors, cables, and cable guides. When connecting or disconnecting an additional cable to the front panel of the network device, an installer moves cables already connected to the front panel out of the way without disconnecting them to get access to the point on the front panel of the network device where the additional cable needs to be connected.
Conventional cable guides typically do not rotate freely around the cable the cable guide is installed on. As a result, cables protected by conventional cable guides are not easily rotated or moved out of the way when connecting an additional cable to the network device. Since conventional cable guides are not easily rotated, the installer may need to disconnect certain cables to get access to the front panel of the network device without damaging existing connected cables.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for a cable guide and system that maintains a desired bend radius. Beneficially, such a cable guide and system would not require a access to the end of the cable while installing the cable guide. Additionally, the cable guide would rotate freely around the cable.